riding to work alot lately....question

[max-r95]

so i totalled my DD vehicle 2 weeks ago and my ninja is my only transporation until i start putting down payments only a turbo diesel. even after that the pick up is only gonna be used on rainy/ crappy days out. So I was seeing you guys had any advice with downshifting coming to stop. Ive been on dirt since i was 4 years old and the gearbox on my rm125 seems alot more forgiving when you downshift (i also beat the crap out of it in the dirt haha) anyways how do you all slow down? i usually hold clutch in, the whole way until i stop downshifting and blipping the throttle before each downshift. Second, I usually show up to a stop in neutral. Than when the light turns green ill either just drop it down to 1st gear, and it like makes like a little clunk and a little jolt. I also tried putting it into 1st by blipping the throttle up to around 3 grand and i feel like sometimes its better, sometimes its not. I could care less if my dirt bike does it, but when it comes to DD for the time being, i dont wanna be going through clutchs like underwear. Thanks Guys and gave a good day... just walked into my office at work with my helmet and SS jacket and you should see some of the looks i get hahaha, got some old ladies wanting to talk to me...lol... Ill see ya

[Jinx]

Seems like your going through the procedure for slowing properly. Only thing I would suggest is not coming to a stop and then sitting in neutral. If your not in gear at the light you have no way to make any kind of emergency maneuvers if a cager is coming right for ya.

[max-r95]

maybe i have to adjust my clutch cable to stop to jump?

edit: stop the jump going into first?

[Motofool]

Same happened to me two years ago, and I still didn't buy a car.

I use the Ninjette to go to work (15 miles away from home) every day.
Only in really bad days, my wife makes me take her car.

You are doing the downshifting correctly.
Don't worry, I do engine braking and can tell you that these clutch and gears are un-breakable, no matter what you do.

Regarding people at work, they have been doing all kind of comments during these months.
They alos offer rides back home when it has been raining, which I always decline.
The rare days that I take the car, some of them come to tell me that my bike is not in the parking lot.

Best!

[xSean13]

What's the point of blipping the throttle if you hold the clutch in all the way until you stop? I just blip downshift from 5/6 gear down to 3rd or 2nd or so then down shift to first with the clutch held in while coming to a stop.

[dfox]

I choose not to downshift.

Not because I can't, but I see no need. I do it all the time in a fuel injected car because when you're not on the throttle, and above idle rpm it cuts fuel entirely. The carbed ninja can't do that, so I see no point aside from sounding cool. I downshift slowly so I'm always in the proper gear and ready to go, but the engine provides little braking force, just clutch in and use both brakes to come to a normal stop..

[max-r95]

thats what i always do^ every stop. but i hate the clunk 1st gear has... i feel like it should be a smoother drop and not a jolt. does everyones ninja do that? my dirt bikes drop into 1st and there is no movement on the bike at all. my ninja jumps forward a little bit

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by max-r95

thats what i always do^ every stop. but i hate the clunk 1st gear has... i feel like it should be a smoother drop and not a jolt. does everyones ninja do that? ...

Yes, unless the bike is almost not moving.

I just shift to neutral at traffic lights, keeping my foot on the shift lever and my hand on the clutch lever, just in case I must take-off in a hurry (right foot on the ground and bike pointing towards a escape).

For stop signs, I shift to first just when the bike is stopping and barely moving.

If you blip and then keep the engine rpm's high enough (instead of leaving go down to idle), there is no clunk from second to first.
The gear ratio of first is very different than the rest, requiring more engine's rpm's.

Gear ratios:
1st 2.600 (39/15)
2nd 1.789 (34/19)
3rd 1.409 (31/22)
4th 1.160 (29/25)
5th 1.000 (27/27)
6th 0.893 (25/28)

[str8t six]

if im at a stop, i always keep my bike in first. just stand there with the right foot on the ground and hold the clutch with the left hand. its not like its hard to hold.

my ninja also does a little clunk when i shift from neutral to first, most bikes that ive driven do that.

sometimes i down shift without the clutch and blip the throttle, but other times i will use the clutch when downshifting or just pull in the clutch the whole time im stopping and go from 6th to 1st.

[max-r95]

so if i am at a red light in neutral and light turns green. i can blip the throttle, push down to first and the clunk wont be as noticable? i have done this a quite a bit now and just wanted to make sure iim not hurting the clutch or gears. but from what motofool said, these clutches and gears are un destroyable

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Don't worry, I do engine braking and can tell you that these clutch and gears are un-breakable, no matter what you do.

man no kidding. i feel like i've been trying my hardest to destroy this transmission and clutch. every time i think i've got it i find out, no. its just stuck, or no. the shift lever is just positioned wrong. its really starting to frustrate me! just blow up already you bastard!

i think i will start trying to do rolling clutch up wheelies. that'll probably get me where i need to be.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by max-r95

so if i am at a red light in neutral and light turns green. i can blip the throttle, push down to first and the clunk wont be as noticable? i have done this a quite a bit now and just wanted to make sure iim not hurting the clutch or gears. but from what motofool said, these clutches and gears are un destroyable

the clunk is there because your wheel isn't spinning. don't worry about it. if you dont like it, don't put the bike in neutral. you shouldn't be sitting at the front of a light on the street in neutral anyway. people like to run lights, and typically people who are comfortable running red lights dont see motorcyclists... ever. and having the bike in neutral means you cant gun it and drop the clutch to GTFO of the way. (i've had to do this many times... lost count now... at least 5)

[Countersteer]

Yep, being in neutral on the street is like Barney Fife showing up to a gun fight with his bullets in his shirt pocket!

[oblivion007]

Originally Posted by max-r95

thats what i always do^ every stop. but i hate the clunk 1st gear has... i feel like it should be a smoother drop and not a jolt. does everyones ninja do that? my dirt bikes drop into 1st and there is no movement on the bike at all. my ninja jumps forward a little bit

I blip the throttle to about 3k rpms like mentioned ealier from 2nd to 1st to avoid the clunk. Works good for me.

[dfox]

I rarely sit in neutral, but I do from time to time, mostly when I'm already sandwiched between stopped cars. Gotta love city rush hour traffic...

[Alex]

Are you coasting to a stop in neutral, or only shifting to neutral after you are already stopped?

[lamchops]

Originally Posted by max-r95

so i totalled my DD vehicle 2 weeks ago and my ninja is my only transporation...

Ooh, ooh! Me too, me too!

[lamchops]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Don't worry, I do engine braking and can tell you that these clutch and gears are un-breakable, no matter what you do.

Originally Posted by alex.s

man no kidding. i feel like i've been trying my hardest to destroy this transmission and clutch. every time i think i've got it i find out, no. its just stuck, or no. the shift lever is just positioned wrong. its really starting to frustrate me! just blow up already you bastard!

i think i will start trying to do rolling clutch up wheelies. that'll probably get me where i need to be.

good to know. i've read some others on this forum's concern over engine-braking and started to reconsider my slowing/stopping technique. :\
but if it is as durable as you say, i'd prefer that over burning out the brakes.

[geeker]

When you coast to a stop with the clutch in or in neutral, you are reducing the oil pressure. I don't pull in the clutch until necessary. Engine braking is pretty effective on the ninjette. In normal day to day commuting, there is no benefit in downshifting each gear with a throttle blip. Nothing wrong with it, but not necessary.

[jcgss77]

Originally Posted by geeker

When you coast to a stop with the clutch in or in neutral, you are reducing the oil pressure. I don't pull in the clutch until necessary. Engine braking is pretty effective on the ninjette. In normal day to day commuting, there is no benefit in downshifting each gear with a throttle blip. Nothing wrong with it, but not necessary.

I do this too. So, has ANYONE had a problem with engine braking? My Ninjette is an '02, and has about 6500 miles on it. So, a main reason the transmission is so strong is the wet clutch?